Coconut Mint Ice Cream

Dairy free mint ice cream - a delicious holiday treat with vegan chocolate magic shell topping.

coconut mint ice cream / loveandlemons.com

Let me start by saying that mint chocolate chip has never been my top choice. It’s always been my sister’s favorite, I was more of a cookies & cream kind of girl. But this blog makes me try things I might have otherwise not… For example, I bought turnips the other day at the farmers market just because they looked cute. When I saw this green mug, I craved just one thing: Mint ice cream.

To my surprise (and Jack’s too), mint ice cream made with fresh mint is amazing! It’s a completely different ice cream flavor altogether. First off, it’s white, not green. The green from the mint doesn’t really rub off and there’s, of course, no food coloring in here. The flavor is so fresh and springy… It tastes like I picked a bunch of mint from the yard and made ice cream out of it. (which is what I did).

It’s made with coconut milk, because that’s just the way we do ice cream around here.

I also whisked together this chocolate sauce using dark baking chocolate, coconut oil and a bit of agave syrup. As a happy accident… it’s vegan magic shell.

coconut mint ice cream

 
Author:
Serves: makes a little over 2 cups, or 4 small servings
Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups of full fat coconut milk (1 can)
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoons corn starch
  • handful (10 or so) sprigs of mint
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
chocolate sauce:
  • 4 ounces dark baking chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon agave syrup
  • tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup of the coconut milk with the corn starch and whisk until it's fully dissolved.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat the remainder of the coconut milk over low heat with the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and the mint. Bring to a low simmer and stir for a few minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, cover the pan and let it steep for about 20 minutes. Then place it in the fridge until chilled, 30 or so minutes (if you transfer it to a shallow dish it'll chill faster).
  4. Strain out the mint, and follow the directions on your ice cream maker.
  5. For the chocolate sauce: Simmer water in a small saucepan, place a glass bowl on top to create a double boiler (a bowl big enough so it doesn't touch the water in the pan). Using a rubber spatula, stir together the chocolate, coconut oil, and agave until fully melted. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use. Store, covered, at room temp for up to 3 days.
Notes
if it's too soft right out of your ice cream maker, chill in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving

If you’re wondering, I have this ice cream maker. For the price point, I think it does a good job. 

34 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. I’m a cookies & creme girl too, but this gets me so excited!! OMG. Mint and coconut!

  2. Ashley from edibleperspective.com
    05.07.2013

    THAT MUG!!! Want. 🙂 Mint ice cream is one of my all time favorites, especially with the chocolate on top. I really need to start making more ice cream! This looks like the easiest recipe ever. Can’t wait to try it!

  3. Kathryn from londonbakes.com
    05.07.2013

    I’m starting to appreciate mint ice cream more and more – I think fresh mint makes all the difference.

  4. Sarah from thesugarhit.com
    05.06.2013

    Firstly, this ice cream looks amazing. Secondly, I love that green mug. Thirdly, these photos are ridiculous. That is all.

    • jeanine
      05.08.2013

      thanks sarah! 🙂

  5. chelsy from mangiablog.com
    05.06.2013

    OMG…I think I was scarred as a child by my mother’s obsession with peppermint patties. She used to make my seester and I buy her a bucket load whenever we went to the store with our dad. I never cared much for them or mint in general and am much more of a milk chocolate, Reese’s peanut butter fan. BUTTTTTTTTT…I am a huge fan of coconut milk and anything coconut and I know the mint probably pairs terrific with it…adding that bit of fresh zest to it. I’M IN! 🙂

    • jeanine
      05.07.2013

      I hated peppermint patties too 🙂

    • jeanine
      05.08.2013

      ha, I know I would take chocolate + peanut butter over peppermint patties any day!

  6. Kankana from playfulcooking.com
    05.06.2013

    There was a time when I just didn’t like mint and now I absolutely love it. The sweet coconut with the pungent mint – it’s a lovely flavor blend!

  7. What gorgeous photos! I love the simplicity of this recipe and really, really wish that I had an ice cream maker!

  8. Lindsey from dollyandoatmeal.com
    05.06.2013

    what a simple recipe. there are so many ice cream recipes that scare me because they seem to hard. i don’t have an ice cream maker, but i’m assuming google can help me find out how to do this without one 😉

    • jeanine
      05.06.2013

      I’m not really sure, it’s really all liquid until it churns… I’ve seen healthy non-ice-cream-maker recipes where people puree up bananas. (although, to me that seems like more of a smoothie). Either way, come back and share what you find out!

  9. I was never a huge fan of mint chip ice cream either, but too had a sibling who loved it. Your version sounds so refreshing – I’m going to have to try it!

  10. What a perfect little mug for the perfect little dessert! It looks super delicious – I bet the coconut/mint mixture was perfect!

  11. This one stopped me in my tracks! Maybe it was the pretty green mug? Nah, I think it was the chocolate…and the mint! 🙂 I love mint ice cream…but the “real” kind, like this one, with real mint and no added coloring (I won’t eat green mint ice cream). Thanks for posting!

  12. Sarah
    05.06.2013

    Mint chocolate chip is my favorite! I have to make this.

  13. Kathryne from cookieandkate.com
    05.06.2013

    I rediscovered my childhood love for mint chocolate chip ice cream in Oklahoma last week, and I’ve been really into coconut ice cream lately… this ice cream is happening soon.

  14. Tieghan from halfbakedharvest.com
    05.06.2013

    This caught my eye right away! For some reason coconut and mint sound really good together (i normally do not like mint)! This looks great and I love the chocolate sauce on top!

    • jeanine
      05.06.2013

      Thanks! They do go really well together, I just love coconut 🙂

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.